


My Valentine

by purestilinski



Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Jori - Freeform, Light Angst, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22793425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purestilinski/pseuds/purestilinski
Summary: Valentine’s Day never used to be this complicated.
Relationships: Tori Vega/Jade West
Comments: 4
Kudos: 169





	My Valentine

Jade, despite her numerous other character flaws, never considered herself a procrastinator. The idea of leaving something of even minimal importance to the last possible moment was foreign to her. Because if she did so, there was a greater risk that she would mess it up in a rush to get it done. 

And Jade was a perfectionist. 

It was part of the reason why she had been so cruel to Tori when the half-Latina had arrived at Hollywood Arts, so hellbent on making her former rival miserable. 

To put it simply, Tori stole her shine. She was a talented singer with a voice that made listeners melt at its soothing sound. But her talents didn’t stop there. She wasn’t a natural with instruments like Andre, but she was a damn talented song-writer - no matter how many times she insisted that she couldn’t come up with lyrics. Her acting was a marvel to witness too, as she slipped into role after role and took part after part in school productions. She had been a force of nature that had taken their school by storm, leaving Jade - despite all of her hard work and effort - in the dust. 

So, yeah, consider Jade’s perfectionist ego bruised. 

And, to be fair, she hadn’t _meant_ to procrastinate _this_ of all things. She’d been thinking about it all week, really. Her brain just kept drawing blanks every time and she hadn’t realized as the days kept passing by. 

“Morning, Jade!” giggled Cat as she skipped by Jade, who was moving books into and out of her locker. 

Jade grunted in acknowledgment of the redhead’s presence but was otherwise too lost in her own thoughts to offer anything substantial. She grabbed her copy of _The Great Gatsby_ and haphazardly shoved it into her backpack. It was a good book, but literature teachers almost always praised the classics more than they really deserved. She repressed a small smile when her mind wandered to one of her brother’s lengthy rants about Shakespeare. 

“What’re you doing for Valentine’s Day?” Cat was excited to hear the details.

Jade shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “I don’t know yet. I’ve still got a few days to think about it.” 

“Um...Jade?” 

“What?” Jade shut her locker, finally organized and ready for her first class of the day. 

Cat shuffled her feet, her eyes settling on the floor. Sure signs that Jade wouldn’t like whatever came out of the bubbly girl’s mouth. “Valentine’s Day is tomorrow.” 

She snorted. “No, it’s not. Today’s only…” She trailed off, freezing in place as her eyes widened in horror. “Today’s Thursday.” 

“Um-hm. And Valentine’s Day is Friday,” Cat stated the obvious. 

Jade had to bite back a snappy remark along with a sudden wave of fresh panic. “I know, Cat. I just...I didn’t realize the week had gone by so fast.” 

“Oh. Is that bad?”

She took a calming breath, reminding herself that this was how Cat acted; that she always meant well even though she was so spacey and oblivious. There was absolutely no need to take out her high emotions on her best friend. Especially because she could still fix her situation. A day to come up with the perfect Valentine’s Day was more than enough time. “No, Cat, it’s not bad.” 

At that moment, the doors swung open and Jade’s eyes met Tori’s as the half-Latina strolled confidently into the building, a noticeable bounce to her peppy step. Jade pushed her tidal wave of anxiety as far back as she could, forcing her facial muscles to form her signature half-smile.

“Mornin’ babe, mornin’ Cat,” greeted Tori.

Jade leaned in to give her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek, but Tori turned her head towards Jade’s lips at the last possible moment. They shared a soft kiss and just when it became not enough for the goth, Tori pulled away with a sly smile. Jade couldn’t stop her small groan of disappointment. 

The warning bell signaled they had five minutes left before the school day started and, just like every other morning that they shared the same first class together, Tori slipped her hand into Jade’s and squeezed gently. 

“See ya later, Cat,” said Tori.

“Bye guys!” Cat gave a dramatic wave, turning on her heels and skipping away. 

Jade stood in place and watched Cat’s retreating form until she walked through the door to her class, thoughts stuck on the redhead’s reminder that she had less than twenty-four hours before Valentine’s Day. 

“Jade?” Her girlfriend nudged her lightly. 

“Huh?” She returned her focus to Tori, who had an expectant look on her face. 

The look shifted subtly as her eyebrows scrunched together a little bit. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” she shrugged casually, “why wouldn’t I be?” 

Tori shrugged. “You were zoning out. And you always tug me to our first class.” She lifted up their entwined hands, showcasing Jade’s loose grip as if to prove her point. 

Jade tightened her grip and, in one quick motion, turned and started walking towards American Literature, causing Tori to stumble forward in surprise. “Like that?” she asked teasingly. 

When Tori laughed, Jade finally felt herself relax a little, her mouth forming a genuine grin.

* * *

She tried to focus on the lecture, she really did. She didn’t find F. Scott Fitzgerald’s supposed masterpiece that interesting in the first place. It didn’t help that she couldn’t focus on anything today. She sighed quietly to avoid earning their teacher’s ire. Her forehead rested at a slant in the palm of her hand, propped up by her elbow. The black nails of her other hand drummed a slow rhythm on the plastic of the desk. 

Valentine’s Day never used to be this complicated when she was with Beck. She never had to worry about what they would do for the holiday. In fact, now that she thought about it, she never really _cared_ about the holiday when she was dating her ex-boyfriend. It had always felt just like any other day to her. 

At the time, her indifference was part of her character. She was cold, withdrawn, and angry. She hated mushiness, so of course, she had to hate the mushiest day of the year. And Beck never questioned it. 

Now that she was with Tori, however, she was the opposite. She was as carefree as she had been since before her parents’ divorce and, while she wouldn’t call herself an extrovert, she was far less withdrawn than she used to be. Tori brought out a side of her that had been suppressed for so long, smoothing out her jagged edges.

Tomorrow was their first Valentine’s Day together and she wanted - no, _needed_ \- it to be special for her sun. 

She startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder, stiffening at the contact. She was about to turn around and give whoever it was hell because _only one person was allowed to touch her_ when her girlfriend’s soft voice filled her ears. 

“Jade, babe, class has been over for a few minutes.” 

“Right. Sorry.” Hastily, she put her notebook into her backpack and zipped it up. In the back of her mind, she realized she hadn’t opened the notebook once throughout the whole period. 

Tori’s lips turned downwards as she eyed Jade, clearly concerned with how out-of-it she seemed. “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“ _Yes_ , Tori, I’m sure.” She cringed inwardly at her curt tone, hoping her girlfriend would be oblivious to it. 

But, of course, she wasn’t. 

Face falling, Tori removed her hand from Jade’s shoulder and stepped backward. 

Jade cursed herself as she stood up. She hated the disheartened look on Tori’s face, hated knowing she was the cause of it. 

Tori rubbed at the back of her neck, unsure of herself as she transferred her weight from one foot to the other. “Um, Trina and I were gonna go grab pancakes since Sikowitz’s is canceled today. Did you want to come?” 

Jade shook her head. “I can’t. I have to work on a project with Andre and Beck for our music class.” Hesitantly, she leaned forward, giving Tori every opportunity to back away. When Tori didn’t, she finished closing the distance and gave her a quick kiss. “Let me walk you to Trina’s car?” 

“Okay.”

* * *

Jade stormed into the music room in a flurry, causing Andre to stop strumming his guitar as he jumped at her intrusion.

“Oh Jesus, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

Beck, who was sitting with his front pressed into a chair’s backrest, jerked his hand once in his typical greeting. “‘Sup Jade.” 

“I need help,” she asserted, not offering any greeting of her own. 

Andre settled back into his seat. “But we have to work on our project.” 

“This is more important.” 

Beck leaned forward, taking note of her inability to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground. “You look anxious.” 

“I am anxious!” she exclaimed with a huff. 

Andre flinched at her frustration, but Beck remained stoic. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked his ex-girlfriend. 

“Valentine’s Day is tomorrow.” She said it like those four words explained every problem in the universe and, to her, at that moment, they did. 

“So?” Andre shrugged. “Shouldn’t you be excited?” 

“I thought you don’t care about Valentine’s Day,” commented Beck. 

“I _didn’t_ care about Valentine’s Day,” she corrected. 

“So, what changed?” questioned Andre. 

“Tori.” Their eyes met, Jade’s guilty and Beck’s understanding. 

“Yeah.” Jade’s voice was weak, so she cleared her throat before continuing. It didn’t help much, the flood that she had been holding onto finally releasing. Damn Tori for making her emotional. “I don’t...I don’t know what to do for tomorrow. I’ve been thinking about it all week but...everything I come up with doesn’t seem special enough. And my brain keeps shutting down. I don’t know how to make tomorrow perfect but it has to be perfect because if it’s not then I’m gonna hate myself for ruining Tori’s Valentine’s Day.” 

Her words came out in a rapid-fire rush, seemingly too much for Andre to digest. But not Beck. He absorbed everything she said, nodding along as he scratched the stubble on his chin. 

“Why do you think tomorrow will be ruined if it’s not perfect?” 

“W-what?” she stammered. 

He shrugged his shoulders. “Stop worrying so much about making tomorrow this perfect thing that it doesn’t have to be. It’s a celebration of love, right? So, just _be_ with Tori and show her how much she means to you. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture.” 

“It doesn’t?” The idea seemed foreign to her. “But she deserves it.” 

She winced when she said it, knowing she never made the effort with Beck. She expected him to be hurt but, instead, he was looking at her with a mixture of care and mild amusement. 

“Well,” he said, gesturing an aimless hand in the empty space between them. “Maybe ask her what she wants to do then.”

“But she’s _my_ girlfriend. I’m supposed to be the one who has the day planned out.” 

“You’re also _her_ girlfriend. Maybe she wants to take you somewhere and you don’t even know it. All I’m saying is you should stop panicking, talk to her, and enjoy tomorrow without the pressure of making it something extraordinary. I guarantee you Tori isn’t expecting the sun, the moon, and the stars.” 

Jade relaxed at Beck’s words, finally letting the tightness in her neck and shoulders ease up. It took her a moment, but soon enough her legs stopped shaking too. He was right. He had to be. The assurance in his voice was enough to calm her racing heart. She smiled softly. “Thank you, Beck. You’re amazing.” 

Despite never loving him the way he deserved, despite their messy breakup, he had always stuck by her and been an anchor for her. So, yeah, she meant it. 

He smirked. “I know. Now, can we please wrap up this project? As much as I love the extra excuse to hang out with you guys, I’m getting tired of writing this song.”

* * *

“I have something to talk to you about.” 

Tori placed one more book in her backpack before she shut her locker and turned around to face Jade. “Okay.” 

She forced herself to stand still and look Tori in her chocolate eyes. “First, I want to say I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. You were just checking up on me and you have no idea how much it means to me that you care.” Tori’s smile was blinding. “And you were right, something was wrong.” 

Tori’s smile faltered, replaced by concern. “What?” 

“I don’t have any plans for us for tomorrow,” she said honestly. “I spent the whole week trying to come up with something that would show you how special you are to me, but I couldn’t.” 

The beaming grin was back on Tori’s face. Whatever Jade was going to say next died on her lips as she became captivated by her girlfriend. 

“You think I’m special?” Awe poured from her words.

Jade wanted to smack herself. She had never verbally expressed that fact to Tori until now, even though they had been together for almost three months. She closed the distance between them, backing Tori up until she was pressed against the lockers, and rested her forehead on the half-Latina’s own. “Yeah, Tori,” she whispered, her breath ghosting over her girlfriend’s skin. “I think you’re really special.” 

She leaned forward, gently pressing their lips together. Her eyes slid shut as Tori wrapped a hand into her raven hair and before she could help herself, she was deepening the kiss. Tori nipped playfully at her bottom lip.

She was so engrossed by the moment that she lost track of how long they had been kissing until, eventually, Tori pulled away and placed a finger on Jade’s black-lipstick-adorned mouth. 

Tori’s voice was breathy when she spoke and Jade couldn’t help but shudder at the sound. “Lucky for you, I have an idea.” 

Jade raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah. I wanna take you to dinner at that fancy new Italian restaurant that just opened on Sunset. And then, I figured we could watch some of those horror movies you love so much. The ones that give me nightmares.” 

“You’d do that?” She asked with a hopeful grin. 

“Uh-huh,” said Tori, wrapping her arms around Jade’s middle and pulling her closer. “If you promise to make me hot chocolate with marshmallows and cuddle.” 

Jade pecked the top of Tori’s head, inhaling the girl’s mint scent. “Done.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's a late Jori Valentine's Day fic. I came up with this immediately after I woke up on Monday and spent part of the day writing it. Hope you enjoyed!


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